Chocolate Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake

A small slice of this rich and creamy cheesecake will satisfy your sugar craving. Don't let the long recipe daunt you. It's really not that hard.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
10 graham crackers
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 1.4-oz Heath English toffee candy bars

For the Cheesecake:
8 oz Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar(s)
4 8-oz packages cream cheese (full fat) at room temperature
1 2/3 Cups sugar
1/3 Cup corn starch
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large or extra-large eggs
3/4 Cup heavy or whipping cream

For the Top Decoration:
1/3 Cup sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup cold heavy or whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1.4-oz Heath English toffee candy bars

Assorted chocolate candies, for example: Chocolate chips, Hershey's Hugs, Kit Kat pieces, Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Nuggets, Snickers, Twix Bars, etc... We went with a caramel theme.

Directions:

1) While you prepare the crust, remove all the ingredients for the cheesecake so they can come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil. To make the crust, crush the graham crackers by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2) While the crust cools, chop the 3 Heath bars into small pieces and sprinkle over the cooled crust. Melt the 8-oz chocolate bar in the microwave carefully, so as not to burn it (15-20 seconds at a time). Set it aside to cool. Place the first package of cream cheese along with 1/3 cup of sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat on low with an electric mixer until creamy - about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheeses. Beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time until combined completely. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined. Blend in the cream, stirring it by hand, until just completely blended. Don't over-mix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.

3) Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges look baked and the center appears set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and run a greased knife around the sides of the cheesecake to separate it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 hours (just walk away - don't move it). Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.

4) At some point during this process, make the ganache by whipping the cream with an electric mixer on high until the cream thickens and soft peaks just begin to form. Add the sugar and cocoa, then the vanilla. Continue beating until the cream turns a light-chocolate color and stiff peaks form. Don't over-beat it. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to one day.

5) Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the ganache with a metal spatula. Press the candy crumbs into the sides and arrange the chocolates on the top. Use lots of chocolates, so you completely cover the top of the cake! Refrigerate until ready to serve (do not cover at this stage). Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any left-over cake and refrigerate or freeze up to 1 month.

Peanut Butter Snowballs

These are perfect for a party, gift or just for your family to enjoy! Tasty chocolate peanut butter balls. :P

Ingredients:
1 C. powdered sugar
½ C. creamy peanut butter
3 T. butter, softened
1 lb. white chocolate coating (we've also used chocolate)

Preparation Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and butter. Mix until blended. Add sugar and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate coating in a double boiler. Dip balls in coating and place on waxed paper to set.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

9 inch Graham Cracker Crust


3 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (mini or regular)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Then without opening oven door reduce oven to 250 degrees. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Cool in fridge until thoroughly chilled. Add chocolate topping, (below), and return to fridge till chocolate is set.


Chocolate topping:
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
Melt chocolate with whipping cream. Stir till smooth.

Chocolate Cookies with Mocha Glaze

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
  1/2 cup cocoa
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk
  1 tablespoon vinegar
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  2/3 cup butter, room temperature
  1 cup granulated sugar
  1 egg, slightly beaten
  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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• Mocha Glaze
  Preparation:
  Sift flour with baking powder, cocoa, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine milk with the 1 tablespoon of vinegar and the soda; set aside. In mixing bowl cream butter until light and fluffy, gradually adding sugar; add egg and vanilla; beat well. Blend in flour mixture alternately with soured milk mixture. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets; bake at 325E° for 10 minutes, or until cookies spring back when top is lightly touched. While cookies are still warm, frost with Mocha Glaze, below, or use your own favorite icing or glaze. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
  Mocha Glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar with 2 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, 2 1/2 tablespoons hot coffee, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir until well blended. Add a little more hot coffee or hot water to get desired consistency.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

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Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the banilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

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We had a bake sale awhile back, and these cookies turned out really good!

People seemed to like them too! Enjoy!

Grandma’s Moist Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
3/4 cups cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
Mix Well. 325 degrees, 25-30 minutes.
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I think everyone in my family agrees that this is the BEST chocolate cake you could ever make! We make it for most all of our birthdays... And it is just FABULOUS!
We also put this on top...
Fabulous Frosting
½ cup shortening
1/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 ½ tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
Cream first four ingredients. In a saucepan, combine flour and milk. Heat and stir until thickened. When thick, remove from heat. Add thick mix, 1 tablespoon at a time, to creamed mixture. Chill before icing cake.
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Then we put it in the fridge for a while till its really cold.. And that is one of the best cakes to make! Enjoy!
-Emily

Spice Cake

1 stick butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (or just brown sugar)
4 eggs
1/2 milk
1/2 molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
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Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Cream butter or shortening and slowly add the two sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then add the milk and molasses, beating thoroughly. Mix together the remaining ingredients and add to the first mixture, beating until well blended. Pour batter into pans and bake, about 30 minutes. Test to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Coll in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto racks. Frost with Grandma's chocolate icing.

Grandma's Chocolate Icing
1/4 cup milk
1/2 stick margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. baking cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla

Put milk, margarine, and brown sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and baking cocoa. Mix well. Let cool and spread.
(We usually double this recipe so that there is enough) :)

Zebra Butter Cookies

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Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Add cocoa to one half; mix well. Roll each half between waxed paper into a 9-in. square. Cut both squares into three 3-in. strips. Cut the strips in half lengthwise to make six 4-1/2-in. x 3-in. rectangles. Place one cream-colored rectangle on a large piece of plastic wrap; top with a chocolate rectangle. Repeat layers twice. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Unwrap and cut widthwise into eighteen 1/4-in. slices. Cut each slice with a horse-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen
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I also have just done squares. But this last time I made them, I did pinwheels! You just roll the dough out long and then roll it up, like a log! Put it in the fridge for 2 hours... then take out and slice! It works great! And tastes the same! :)

Summer Celebration Ice Cream Cake

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INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter melted
3 tablespoons orange yogurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1-3/4 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
4 to 6 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening
Mixed fresh berries
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DIRECTIONS:
Line an 8-in. square baking dish with foil and grease the foil; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, yogurt, egg, orange peel and vanilla until blended. Combine flour and cocoa; stir into sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips. Spread into prepared dish. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack. Spread ice cream over cake. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Using foil, lift dessert out of dish; gently peel off foil. Cut into squares. Garnish with berries and drizzle with chocolate. Yield: 9 servings.
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This is the picture of the example piece of cake. I did not make this piece...



And this is the one I made for Jack's Birthday...


Also I doubled the recipe to make the cake pictured above.

Believe me, it does not need to be doubled. It is very rich!

The crust is like a rich fudge! It was very yummy though! :)